Pickering Membranes Stabilized by Saturn Particles

We report on a novel method to synthesize particlescalled by us <i>Saturn particles</i>having two hydrophobic caps that oppose each other and are separated from each other by a hydrophilic belt that encircles the particle. Mixtures of these particles with water and air, without the usage of low molar mass surfactants, easily form Pickering foams and Pickering membranes that are stable for days. These Pickering membranes are composed of a thin film of water into which the particles are embedded in such a way that the belt is surrounded by the water and the caps protrude out of the water into the air at the top and bottom side of the water film. As expected for a liquid membrane, these Pickering membranes are permeable for gases, with the permeance being proportional to the solubility and diffusion coefficient of the gas considered. Experimentally obtained permeance values agree reasonably well with theoretical calculations

Dehydroergosterol as an Analogue for Cholesterol: Why It Mimics Cholesterol So Wellor Does It?

Although dehydroergosterol (DHE) is one of the most commonly used cholesterol (CHOL) reporters, it has remained unclear why it performs well compared with most other CHOL analogues and what its possible limitations are. We present a comprehensive study of the properties of DHE using a combination of time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy, quantum-mechanical electronic structure computations, and classical atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. We first establish that DHE mimics CHOL behavior, as previous studies have suggested, and then move on to elucidate and discuss the particular properties that render DHE so superior. We found that the main reason why DHE mimics CHOL so well is due to its ability to stand upright in a membrane in a manner that is almost identical to that of CHOL. The minor difference in how DHE and CHOL tilt with respect to membrane normal has only faint effects on structural membrane properties, and even the lateral pressure profiles of model membranes with CHOL or DHE are almost identical. These results suggest that the mechanical/elastic effects of DHE on the function of mechanically sensitive membrane proteins are not substantially different from those of CHOL. Our study highlights similar dynamical behavior of CHOL and DHE, which implies that DHE can mimic CHOL in processes with free energies close to the thermal energy

EFSUMB Gastrointestinal Ultrasound (GIUS) Task Force Group: Celiac sprue and other rare gastrointestinal diseases ultrasound features

Transabdominal gastrointestinal ultrasound (GIUS) is unique in its capacity to examine the bowel non-invasively and in its physiological condition, including extra-intestinal features such as the splanchnic vessels, mesentery, omentum and lymph nodes- even at the bedside. Despite this, and its extensive documentation for its usefulness, it has only been fully implemented in a few European countries and expert centres. Therefore, the European Federation of Societies for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (EFSUMB) established a GIUS Task Force Group in 2014 consisting of international experts from 9 European countries with the objectives to standardize and promote the use of GIUS in a clinical setting. This is achieved by publishing clinical guidelines and recommendations on indications and use of GIUS and so far,4 guidelines have been published: first on “examination techniques and normal findings”, second on “inflammatory bowel disease”, third on “acute appendicitis and diverticulitis” and fourth on “transrectal and perineal ultrasound”